Hello again
A and C,
As for two PPLs flying together the aircraft is single pilot so the person in the right seat is a passenger and should not interfere with the flying of the aircraft.
There are two types of multi crew. A
multi crew aeroplane and a
multi crew environment. A multi crew aeroplane is an aircraft that requires two (or more) pilots as per the aircraft’s flight manual and the multi crew environment is a cockpit (or even cabin) with 2 or more pilots on board.
The Cherokee with two private pilots on board is certainly a multi-crew environment. When
Luftwaffle wrote
"sit there and don't do anything unless I ask you." it wasn’t terribly good CRM but it was CRM non-the less. At least each pilot’s role was defined right from the very beginning.
Although our company operates larger types almost exclusively we also operate a couple of piston twins that obviously only require a single crewmember. If a second crewmember is required to be carried (due to an autopilot requirement etc) then it becomes a multi crew aircraft. Our company has defined and published procedures for each pilot. Not having these procedures and identifying the situation as multi crew environment, and then operating as such, can present dangers that wouldn’t exist if the aircraft was only flown with one crew-member on board. CRM only works when the pilots work at working it. Is the situation any different with two PPL guys in your 172 bashing around on a cross-country? Is it a multi-crew environment when a second pilot is carried on board a Chieftain so the second pilot can fly ICUS? Is it multi-crew when you take a student out to do a session of circuits? Is it multi-crew when you have a pilot dead-heading on a control seat? Is it multi-crew is you carry a second pilot to comply with CAO 20.16 (when carrying in excess of 15pax)? Is it multi-crew when two pilots go out to conduct currency night circuits? Absolutely it is! Do you see my point? Now, if two pilots are going to operate an aeroplane safely and effectively, shouldn’t both those pilots fly the aircraft exactly the same way? Standardisation eliminates the confusion that could otherwise prevail.
I don’t give a damn about the so called SOPs
Why the hell not?
I was disappointed that you referred to the SOP's as the “
so called SOPs”. It's this kind of obvious disregard for company protocol that flows down into your pilots and students.
If my students ask me about something I will make every attempt to discuss it with them and then explain why the company has decided to operate a particular way. I don't necessarily agree with the way something is done but I will teach it non-the less. It is not up to me to change the way in which something is done or taught (in our company) unless I go through the appropriate channels and have the relevant documentation amended. Be very careful what you tell you students because if it is not something that the company endorses then it leaves you totally liable.
A and C, to use your leaning example…You mentioned that leaning should be done above 3000 feet. Why is that? The Piper Flight Manual and POH both recommend that leaning should not be done below 5000 feet. This was (probably) written for American pilots flying in American conditions but if your company decides to do things differently they have to justify and quantify it. Will you not lean a Cessna 310 in the climb immediately after TKOF? A Duke I used to fly would almost run out of fuel even before reaching cruise if it wasn't leaned almost immediately after departure. In Australia you can fly for several thousand kilometres of coastline and not come across any significant terrain - because of this pilots aren't changing altitude nearly as often as pilots flying an equivalent distance in the USA. Our Company manual therefore suggests pilots lean the aircraft whenever possible - regardless of altitude. This is a company decision and not a manufacturer’s recommendation. We decided, after much consideration, that it was the best decision for us to make. All our Instructors operate the same way but they also educate students why things are done in a particular way and the alternative methods available and those methods that are used by both International pilots and local pilots operating differently for different reasons.
This is an interesting thread. We could essentially debate it forever becasue as long as we all follow SOPs, even if we do things differently, we are all correct.
Sorry about the long post.
[This message has been edited by Turbine (edited 06 October 2000).]